Swim rant, and also question for swim moms

[plansrme]

First, the rant:

My daughter qualified back in December for a big national meet.  Yippee!  As part of her team's deal, we were told she gets either a 40% discount on the top-tier suit OR a free (!!!) suit at the next tier down.  The next tier down, we were told, is the suit she usually swims in, it's also $400+, so awesome--I just saved $450, because her old competition suit was worn out after this meet.  I was antsy that the ordering information from the free suit didn't come from the team until mid-January.  If I had been paying for her next suit, I would have ordered it within a week of her qualifying for nationals, so in December.  The order form from the team had a three-day turnaround time.  No problem, she sent it in within 24 hours--January 16.  The national meet is now in ten days.  TEN DAYS.  We heard nothing from the team until TUESDAY when we were informed that the suit she ordered is not free but is, instead, available at a 40% discount.  Sure, whatever, that's not what you said, but no problem--let me call and order the suit and see if they can get it to me within ten days.  NO, IN FACT, HER SIZE, AND ONLY HER SIZE, IS BACKORDERED IN BOTH OF THE SUITS THAT WOULD WORK FOR HER.  I spent half of my day yesterday trying to find this stupid $489 suit in someone's warehouse.  I THINK I found one in Las Vegas, and they say they have shipped it to me.  If I'd done this in December, instead of relying on the team, we would have had our pick of suits.  And the team manager has no idea why I'm upset.  Her advice?  "Speedo always has stacks of suits at these big meets, so you can get one the first day of the meet."  Really?  That's the best you've got?  Wait until we get to the meet and hope the backorder problem--which is with Speedo--is resolved?  And if not, then she's swimming a very important meet in a $40 practice suit while everyone around her is in their $489 suits.

 

Now the question:

Thank you if you've made it this far.  My question for year-around swim moms:  do you have a local vendor to your teams that might have a fancy schmancy performance suit in stock?  The suit we have coming is from Swim 2000, bless their hearts; Swim Outlet is a bust.  I've already tried All-America Swim and Friends Unlimited who supply teams in Atlanta and elsewhere.  Kastaway, which used to supply at least one team in Atlanta, seems to be out of business.  Because I haven't spent quite enough on this little project, I would like to have, as a back-up, a new one of her old suit which I think Speedo may have discontinued.  This is why I need to comb the inventories of smaller suppliers to find one in the next week.  The newest Speedo suit, which is supposedly on its way from Swim 2000, is supposed to be super-fragile, so I want a tried-and-true back-up.  I am out of places to check.  Contacts, websites, phone numbers--bring 'em on, please!

 

 

[Sarah CB]

Not a swim mom, but that would drive me insane!  I can't get my head around the coach's advice - there's no way I'd wait until the day of a competition to get my kid the gear she needs.  

[Tap]

Can you contact the vendor who is going to be at the meet to find out if they have one? 

 

I have never seen the high end suits in stores in my local area. The swimmers who wanted them ordered online.  

 

 

[plansrme]

Not a swim mom, but that would drive me insane!  I can't get my head around the coach's advice - there's no way I'd wait until the day of a competition to get my kid the gear she needs.  

 

Exactly!  I am such a planner.  I'm kicking myself because I feel like I should have known not to trust this process.  But they dangled free stuff in front of me, and I succumbed to the lure.  Ugh.  Never again!

[plansrme]

Can you contact the vendor who is going to be at the meet to find out if they have one? 

 

I have never seen the high end suits in stores in my local area. The swimmers who wanted them ordered online.  

 

The vendor is says the back-up suit is backordered until MAY.  The suit we are supposed to have coming from Las Vegas, the top-of-the-line suit, is backordered until the week of March 15th--the meet starts March 16th.  I need to find the back-up suit sitting in someone's inventory somewhere.

[MysteryJen]

We have always had to buy our own suits. So I admit I was jealous when I started reading! So sorry about the ordering problem. Are you looking for a 16 or 18 in the lzr elite 2 with comfort straps and the new one? If so, I feel your pain. I just ordered an 18 from swim2000 on Monday.

 

It was the only place I could find one. Speedo is out, a few tri stores said they had some until checkout. TriVillage had one in an 18 on Monday. I absolutely absolutely would not go to a meet (NSCA?) without a suit in hand. I also do not believe for a minute that the vendors are going to have a 16 or 18 in stock. They will stock the colored ones ($429) and the X ($479-490) but they will mostly have 24s.

 

Dd1 in a 25L has a million choices, but dd2 in the 18 (torso too long for the 16) has one. Black and wherever we can find one. Our local vendor is out of small sizes (just had age group state) and said they don't know when they get any. SwimandTri.com had some in February, I think.

 

Good luck, I will ask around at practice. We have some crazies who buy indiscriminately :)

[zimom]

PM'd you back.  let me know exactly which one you are looking for in case it is sitting on my shelf.  I guess the ones my coach had already sitting there were from Jr. Nationals?   Coach gave my daughter a 22 from someone that didn't need/want hers.  Will have to see if it is the one you are looking for.  Just holding it for trials but you can use it for a backup if needed.  

 

 

[MysteryJen]

Also, the girls have mixed reports about the new speedo x suit. It is more fragile, several girls ripped it last weekend. A couple of girls love it, but most prefer the "old" lzr elite 2.

 

Actually, I think the arena carbon was the most common suit last weekend.

[zimom]

n/m

Edited March 3, 2016 by zimom

[hopskipjump]

Not a swim mom, but that would drive me insane!  I can't get my head around the coach's advice - there's no way I'd wait until the day of a competition to get my kid the gear she needs.  

 

:iagree:  But, I have found, that the coach's reaction is pretty par for the course. It's pretty easy to dismiss something when it doesn't directly apply to your kid!

[wintermom]

So sorry you're going through this. I would be going insane. Unbelieveable, that these swimsuits cost $400+ and that people actually buy them. Are they made with gold tread woven into them?  Clearly, comp swimming is for the rich. Or, is it really worth $400? Does this suit REALLY translate into a significant result in performance?  Yes, I understand that Nationals is exciting and all, but $400 just for a suit? It had better last a lifetime, in my books.

[MysteryJen]

The suits make a huge difference. Especially for curvy or heavier girls. Stick girls like mine have better performance, but not the extraordinary difference that the larger girls have. Of course, their suits last longer, less stress on the seams.

 

I have a whole rant about the suits, but I will refrain. :)

[Sarah CB]

:iagree:  But, I have found, that the coach's reaction is pretty par for the course. It's pretty easy to dismiss something when it doesn't directly apply to your kid!

 

Again, not swimming, but I haven't seen that reaction in our circles.  One of our violin teachers had us keep an extra set of stretched strings (even cello strings -which are over $200 for a set) on hand as a back up.  She was also the one who put three of the "right" sized chairs and three solid stands in her car and drove over 6 hours to a competition.  She didn't leave anything up to chance and didn't want the trio sitting on chairs that inclined or were too tall.

 

Our Taekwon-do coaches have also been very proactive - they remind the kids again and again about what gear they need for competition and they do all their ordering well in advance.  

 

These teachers taught me well and now I think I'm pretty organized when it comes to having back-up plans.  I couldn't show up at a meaningful competition without all of our gear properly sorted, so that coach saying that she could pick up a suit at the competition sounds absolutely nuts to me.

 

[wintermom]

The suits make a huge difference. Especially for curvy or heavier girls. Stick girls like mine have better performance, but not the extraordinary difference that the larger girls have. Of course, their suits last longer, less stress on the seams.

 

I have a whole rant about the suits, but I will refrain. :)

 

So the $400+ is to squeeze the living begeebies out of the upper torso? Is this even healthy? Oh my. It must be uncomfortable. I sure hope the guys aren't being subjected to the same things down below. That, at least, isn't good for future babies. 

[MysteryJen]

I agree, Sarah. It is so much money to travel to these large meets, we always have back up suits. But with dd2's suit size and scarcity, our last travel meet she only had one suit. It was nerve wracking. Next one, she will have two. One new and one old, so that will be the new pattern, thankfully.

 

The best part about dd1 graduating and swimming DI is that I won't have to buy her suits anymore.

[plansrme]

We have always had to buy our own suits. So I admit I was jealous when I started reading! So sorry about the ordering problem. Are you looking for a 16 or 18 in the lzr elite 2 with comfort straps and the new one? If so, I feel your pain. I just ordered an 18 from swim2000 on Monday.

 

It was the only place I could find one. Speedo is out, a few tri stores said they had some until checkout. TriVillage had one in an 18 on Monday. I absolutely absolutely would not go to a meet (NSCA?) without a suit in hand. I also do not believe for a minute that the vendors are going to have a 16 or 18 in stock. They will stock the colored ones ($429) and the X ($479-490) but they will mostly have 24s.

 

Dd1 in a 25L has a million choices, but dd2 in the 18 (torso too long for the 16) has one. Black and wherever we can find one. Our local vendor is out of small sizes (just had age group state) and said they don't know when they get any. SwimandTri.com had some in February, I think.

 

Good luck, I will ask around at practice. We have some crazies who buy indiscriminately :)

 

Yes, the tried-and-true back-up I'm looking for is the Lzr Elite comfort strap in a 22.  My short-but-dense child (14% body fat, but she's 5'2" and 140!) would never fit into an 18.  The X, we're assuming she'll fit into a 24.  That's what's coming from Swim 2000.  I'll definitely try swimandtri.com, though.  They're not on my radar at all.

 

PM'd you back.  let me know exactly which one you are looking for in case it is sitting on my shelf.  I guess the ones my coach had already sitting there were from Jr. Nationals?   Coach gave my daughter a 22 from someone that didn't need/want hers.  Will have to see if it is the one you are looking for.  Just holding it for trials but you can use it for a backup if needed.  

 

Lzr Elite 2 comfort strap, 22.  If this is what you have, you'll be my hero (even more than you already are, of course), and I'll replace it with whatever MM wants!

 

Also, the girls have mixed reports about the new speedo x suit. It is more fragile, several girls ripped it last weekend. A couple of girls love it, but most prefer the "old" lzr elite 2.

 

Actually, I think the arena carbon was the most common suit last weekend.

 

That's the impression I'm getting, which maybe is why the LE 2 is sold out everywhere.  It has to be a Speedo suit because of the team sponsorship, which really sucks when Speedo is backordered on everything.  Well, except that I'm sure they weren't backordered in December when I would have ordered if left to my own devices.

[EmseB]

OT and not helpful, but oh my gosh, I swam age-group USA Swimming in the 80's and 90's and I think the most expensive suit we ever got for me was probably less than $100, maybe $70 or $80.

 

Holy carp, I can't imagine my parents would have ever spent $500 on a suit.  Maybe if I was in the Olympic Trials or something.  Times, they have changed!  Or maybe it's the level of competition?  How much time do suits realistically shave off of someone's race?

[bettyandbob]

So the $400+ is to squeeze the living begeebies out of the upper torso? Is this even healthy? Oh my. It must be uncomfortable. I sure hope the guys aren't being subjected to the same things down below. That, at least, isn't good for future babies.

Your comments are not useful. It doesn't sound like you have to deal with issues related to high level competition.

 

Men's suits have the same fabric.

 

Cost is horrendous. Coach behavior suggests he is stupid or doesn't care about this athlete.

 

OP, I hope you find what you need.

[zimom]

22 is the LZR Racer Pro.   Sorry.  I think this is what they were given for Jr. Nationals.  But let me know if that is better then nothing.  

[plansrme]

MysteryJen, YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!  Swimandtri had the LE2 comfort strap in black, size 22, online, I called and confirmed and have placed my order.  Thank you thank you thank you!!!  And they're in Knoxville, so it should be here in Atlanta in a few days.  

[plansrme]

22 is the LZR Racer Pro.   Sorry.  I think this is what they were given for Jr. Nationals.  But let me know if that is better then nothing.  

 

What size Pro does she need?  I think this is the free one we're supposed to get.  I'm darned sure getting whatever free stuff I have coming and will be happy to send it along.

[zimom]

Yeah!!!!!!!    

[zimom]

What size Pro does she need?  I think this is the free one we're supposed to get.  I'm darned sure getting whatever free stuff I have coming and will be happy to send it along.

 

If your daughter isn't going to wear it, get us a 24 and I'll pay you for it.   We just got the 22 for trials.  24 is better for other meets.   

[MysteryJen]

Awesome!!! They were the only place that had the suit (dd1 had secretly wanted, but never asked us to buy) we bought for dd1 to use at Trials this summer.

 

I am looking at tri shops first from now on :)

[JenNM]

I've been a long time lurker, but this post caught my eye since I have two (much younger) age group swimmers. We have had good luck ordering practice suits from Metroswim, so out of curiosity I checked since no one has mentioned them in this thread. They seem to have the "SPEEDO LZR Racer Elite 2 Comfort Strap Kneeskin" in stock in a 22 ( quite a few in fact). Was this the suit you were looking for?

[plansrme]

I've been a long time lurker, but this post caught my eye since I have two (much younger) age group swimmers. We have had good luck ordering practice suits from Metroswim, so out of curiosity I checked since no one has mentioned them in this thread. They seem to have the "SPEEDO LZR Racer Elite 2 Comfort Strap Kneeskin" in stock in a 22 ( quite a few in fact). Was this the suit you were looking for?

 

I'll make a note to check them out next time.  Their inventory says they have over 200???  That's crazy.  I've called and checked probably 15 vendors, including Speedo itself, and no one has had a single suit (well, before swimandtri).  I will definitely check them out next time.

[JenNM]

They seem to carry old and discontinued suits, or at least that is what I have found when looking for speedo endurance practice suits for my girls. Glad you were able to find the suit you needed though.

[Jan in SC]

Ok- you're going to think I'm crazy, but- because I'm used to buying expensive equipment for my ds' sport with lots of criticism, I thought I'd help. One of mine used to swim, so I called Augusta Swim in Georgia, and they have an LZR 2 - Elite in a black 22, if that's what you need. (I'm not up on the girls' stuff because my swimmer is a guy- (and not a real swimmer!))

[Dad 4 Boys]

I have to laugh because my first thought was, "You gotta be kidding me!  $400 for a swimsuit?!"

 

This coming from a baseball dad that wouldn't bat at an eye spending $200 - 300 for a glove or bat.  It's all perspective.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Dad 4 Boys

[Tap]

So the $400+ is to squeeze the living begeebies out of the upper torso? Is this even healthy? Oh my. It must be uncomfortable. I sure hope the guys aren't being subjected to the same things down below. That, at least, isn't good for future babies. 

They do streamline the body (hence why they are beneficial on a curvy girl) but they also reduce drag and buoyancy.    In races where the winner is determined by fractions of seconds, it can make a difference....in races where there are several seconds between swimmers, they are unnecessary.

 

I think that a lot of the benefit is mental.  If you are one of the few swimmers who do not have them, it makes the swimmer feel less confident (like others have an advantage) and that can really take a toll on a swimmer at all day event.  It is also hard on parents who have paid big dollars for swimming throughout the year and then to tell you kid...nope, we won't spend a few more hundred even though you have swam thousand of hours to get to this level of performance.   It would be like telling a gymnast that they can't have a special leotard for a competition and to wear an old practice one.  If your swimmer gets to this level of swimming....it is just an expected expense.   When my son swam, we limited him to meets within driving distance.  It still cost us $500 mth (12mth swimmer) for swimming (he only got to state level and decided to quit).  Once you pass state level, you have to travel....so that bill goes up to $1000+ per month and can easily exceed $3000 for air fair and hotels for 3 day meets, in some expensive cities.  So....adding in a $500 suit to get the fractions of a second advantage, is just part of the commitment and only a drop in the bucket. I should say that we were on a 'no fund raising team'.  I know that some teams do lots of fund raising to keep costs down, but we loved not having to do all of that, and each family just paid for their own swimmers fees.

 

They only last a handful of races (5-10 races), and if they swimmer isn't incredibly careful they can rip on the first time putting them on.  Even for swimmers who have the suits, they may not choose to wear them in every event. Unless the family is wealthy and can afford to buy a few a year, they are usually reserved for races that impact a swimmers progression to state, regional and eventual national titles.  

Edited March 3, 2016 by Tap

[MysteryJen]

The suits are an expected expense now. The girls only "suit up" to go for cuts or at high level meets. We have had very good luck with the speedo LE2 with comfort straps lasting 20-30 races. But again, my girls, especially dd2, are very slender and not at all curvy, so the suits are easier to put on and have considerably less stress on the seams, even though they are extremely tight and well-fitting.

The suits are more effective with particular body types in reducing drag and the compression will increase buoyancy, so swimmers don't have to work as hard to stay on top of the water. The compression on the legs can definitely be seen in the last 25 of a race.

 

The mental part is huge, but the suits really do make a difference on their own.

[EmseB]

They do streamline the body (hence why they are beneficial on a curvy girl) but they also reduce drag and buoyancy.    In races where the winner is determined by fractions of seconds, it can make a difference....in races where there are several seconds between swimmers, they are unnecessary.

 

I think that a lot of the benefit is mental.  If you are one of the few swimmers who do not have them, it makes the swimmer feel less confident (like others have an advantage) and that can really take a toll on a swimmer at all day event.  It is also hard on parents who have paid big dollars for swimming throughout the year and then to tell you kid...nope, we won't spend a few more hundred even though you have swam thousand of hours to get to this level of performance.   It would be like telling a gymnast that they can't have a special leotard for a competition and to wear an old practice one.  If your swimmer gets to this level of swimming....it is just an expected expense.   When my son swam, we limited him to meets within driving distance.  It still cost us $500 mth (12mth swimmer) for swimming (he only got to state level and decided to quit).  Once you pass state level, you have to travel....so that bill goes up to $1000+ per month and can easily exceed $3000 for air fair and hotels for 3 day meets, in some expensive cities.  So....adding in a $500 suit to get the fractions of a second advantage, is just part of the commitment and only a drop in the bucket. 

 

They only last a handful of races (5-10 races), and if they swimmer isn't incredibly careful they can rip on the first time putting them on.  Even for swimmers who have the suits, they may not choose to wear them in every event. Unless the family is wealthy and can afford to buy a few a year, they are usually reserved for races that impact a swimmers progression to state, regional and eventual national titles.  

 

I agree with all of this.  My shock and surprise post came as someone who did swim for a long time and my parents paid for it, and compared to other sports it was relatively inexpensive.  I thought it would be something that I could put my kids into long term-ish if they enjoyed it, a sport we could afford as family (because of my prior experience).  However, seeing that comp suits are now in the hundreds of dollars sort of puts swimming off the table for us.  Of course, my kids are still young, so it doesn't really matter at this point, but like you say, it would suck for a kid to get up into the higher levels and then not have the $$$ to put up for someone who is working hard.

[plansrme]

Ok- you're going to think I'm crazy, but- because I'm used to buying expensive equipment for my ds' sport with lots of criticism, I thought I'd help. One of mine used to swim, so I called Augusta Swim in Georgia, and they have an LZR 2 - Elite in a black 22, if that's what you need. (I'm not up on the girls' stuff because my swimmer is a guy- (and not a real swimmer!))

Thanks! I've found one now, but this is exactly what I expected to be trying--lots of local swim suppliers who might have one left over. I will hold onto this info in case something happens to UPS. I could drive to Augusta if I have to!

[GAPeachie]

Ok- you're going to think I'm crazy, but- because I'm used to buying expensive equipment for my ds' sport with lots of criticism, I thought I'd help. One of mine used to swim, so I called Augusta Swim in Georgia, and they have an LZR 2 - Elite in a black 22, if that's what you need. (I'm not up on the girls' stuff because my swimmer is a guy- (and not a real swimmer!))

 

YAY!!! My hometown swim store!  They were always incredibly helpful when I was swimming!!! 

[LisaKinVA]

The suits can also help with recovery. My kids wore their first tech suits this weekend. While all of their time drops could not have been all due to the suit, they noticed their legs weren't as tired after the 400 Free, and when they swam fly, their body position seemed almost effortless to maintain.

 

We can't afford to wear these suits all the time. But we will wear them for Championship meets,and our last Pentathlon Meet. I am hoping to find 2-3 on sale so we can rotate through them. Most meets, they will wear a sized down meet suit. I won't buy them for my younger kids...just my high schoolers.

[plansrme]

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be spending this kind of money on a swim suit, I would certainly not have believed it. But at this level, the kids work so incredibly hard to shave a half-second per year off of their times, and if a fancy suit is worth another half-second, it is worth it. Besides, if you think of it as $500/year for equipment, it is much more palatable than $500 for a swimsuit. Besides, I was supposed!!! to get a 40% discount on this suit and am, instead, buying two at full price. But hey--I qualified for free shipping!

[Tap]

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be spending this kind of money on a swim suit, I would certainly not have believed it. But at this level, the kids work so incredibly hard to shave a half-second per year off of their times, and if a fancy suit is worth another half-second, it is worth it. Besides, if you think of it as $500/year for equipment, it is much more palatable than $500 for a swimsuit. Besides, I was supposed!!! to get a 40% discount on this suit and am, instead, buying two at full price. But hey--I qualified for free shipping!

LOL yep, free shipping is a wonderful thing.  :0)

 

 

Maybe you can put the word out that you may have an extra to sell.  If there is a shortage in that size you may be able to sell it at the meet.  

[wintermom]

Your comments are not useful. It doesn't sound like you have to deal with issues related to high level competition.

 

Men's suits have the same fabric.

 

Cost is horrendous. Coach behavior suggests he is stupid or doesn't care about this athlete.

 

OP, I hope you find what you need.

 

I completely understand high performance and the industry around it. I was a swim coach and a competitive swimmer years ago. Clearly people are willing to pay a lot more for expensive gear now.  Sport is an industry, and very profitable for some - not so profitable for families trying to support an elite level athlete in these times.  Those swim suits are part of the whole picture of sports for children and youth. Way out of control. But as long as people actually pay for these things, the ball roles along. 

 

OP - I can feel your pain, especially when you thought you'd be getting a discouted suit. Hope your dd does really well in her event(s).

Edited March 3, 2016 by wintermom

[bettyandbob]

I completely understand high performance and the industry around it. I was a swim coach and a competitive swimmer years ago. Clearly people are willing to pay a lot more for expensive gear now. Sport is an industry, and very profitable for some - not so profitable for families trying to support an elite level athlete in these times. Those swim suits are part of the whole picture of sports for children and youth. Way out of control. But as long as people actually pay for these things, the ball roles along.

 

OP - I can feel your pain, especially when you thought you'd be getting a discouted suit. Hope your dd does really well in her event(s).

The OP is not buying suits for summer rec league. The OP and other posters use these only at big events.

 

Suits, materials design have gotten a lot more involved in the last 20 years. The fabrics are different. A lot of research goes into reduced drag. Additionally the compression does reduce muscle fatigue. It sticks the price is high. As with other innovations the developer will try to recoup costs and profit, otherwise, why do the research?

 

Equipment is a good way to think of it. In some sports you couldn't outfit someone at this level for double that. Sticks, pads, skates, helmets, footwear, ect. Can really be pricy.

[wintermom]

The OP is not buying suits for summer rec league. The OP and other posters use these only at big events.

 

Suits, materials design have gotten a lot more involved in the last 20 years. The fabrics are different. A lot of research goes into reduced drag. Additionally the compression does reduce muscle fatigue. It sticks the price is high. As with other innovations the developer will try to recoup costs and profit, otherwise, why do the research?

 

Equipment is a good way to think of it. In some sports you couldn't outfit someone at this level for double that. Sticks, pads, skates, helmets, footwear, ect. Can really be pricy.

 

I understand this swim meet is special and it's probably the biggest thing this girl will participate in. It's exciting and if parents are willing, they'll pay the big bucks to buy what they think their child needs. At the same time, on this very same forum, there are many people who are very stressed because they can't afford to send their child(ren) to college, or can't afford to buy math books for their children.

 

I'm excited that youth get opportunities to reach elite levels in anything. It's just a shame that there has to be such a high price tag, which creates an impossible barrier for MANY youth. 

 

Perhaps this venting thread could have included: "It's a huge pain that I have to even consider spending this kind of cash on a piece of material that will be useless in 6 - 12 months."

Edited March 4, 2016 by wintermom

[zimom]

Yep, the kids that rode at the barn I worked at in college had horses that cost six figures.  SIX FIGURES!  Pretty much any sport once you get to a certain level you will be spending $$ if you want your child to possibly keep progressing.   Many of these families that have commented have kids competing at the collegiate level, olympic trials.  We aren't talking about summer league.  Drivers in the Daytona 500 didn't get there in a Yugo.  NFL quarterbacks didn't get there wearing crocks and duct tape for gloves.  We sacrifice much for our daughter because it brings her immense joy and happiness and she has the talent to back it up.  

 

 

[chiguirre]

I understand this swim meet is special and it's probably the biggest thing this girl will participate in. It's exciting and if parents are willing, they'll pay the big bucks to buy what they think their child needs. At the same time, on this very same forum, there are many people who are very stressed because they can't afford to send their child(ren) to college, or can't afford to buy math books for their children.

 

I'm excited that youth get opportunities to reach elite levels in anything. It's just a shame that there has to be such a high price tag, which creates an impossible barrier for MANY youth. 

 

Perhaps this venting thread could have included: "It's a huge pain that I have to even consider spending this kind of cash on a piece of material that will be useless in 6 - 12 months."

It's a national meet!!!!

 

Go Plans' DD!!!

 

Yes, it takes a small fortune to pay for training and equipment at this level. That limits who can participate. You can certainly make an argument that that's unfair, but it's not Plans' fault that this is the way the swimming world works now. She's luckily fixed the snafu and found the suit in time for the most important meet her dd has ever qualified for. Let's cheer her on!